The Soap Shop

I'm trying to get a job. A lot of my friends have jobs, and I've wanted one for a while, just to have the experience., but I never really did anything about it. Now, I want a job because I WANT MONEY, and I am doing something about it.

Hm. I think this says something about my priorities, but I am not sure.

So I've applied at two places now: a pizza place, and a coffee place. Honestly neither of them is promising at all, so I was definitely interested when a lady from our church offered me a job at her soap shop.

Until I processed the thought:

A soap shop. Me. Working. Me working in a soap shop.

That's like me working at a perfume store or something. I don't know anything about the product, I don't especially care about the product, and I'm too rotten at details to LEARN anything about the product.

But anyway, I went to the shop yesterday so Crystal (the owner) could show me the ropes. She actually let her assistant, Marion show me around, and it went something like this:

Marion: "Well, okay. First you have the 3-in-1 soaps, over there. You can use it for your hair, face and body, and it's just a personal preference which. There are the glycerins, and over there are the body bars, $4.50 a piece. We don't get many people asking for tea, but it's right here, and probably when winter comes... Behind here are all the herbs, people can just pick what they want and you can measure it out for them in the back in ounces. We have people come in here claiming to be witches. Whatever. And...those are some flavorings...now in this back hall are the scents and essences, they're separated and alphabetized. The essences are the real thing, they're stronger. This back here is the tiny messy kitchen... When you weigh the herbs you put them in these baggies here and--well, first you have to zero out the scale, but for now just... And you measure it out to point seven. Er, point zero zero seven. And, oh, see those white tubes over there? They don't have bottoms. You can slide them around, but don't-- See I didn't know they didn't have bottoms and one day I was helping Crystal move them and I picked one up--soap came all out. I told her I quit. So anyway. And down this row are more herbs--actually on the left are the containers and on the right are more herbs, except on the top on the left there are some herbs... Alright, we can go back to the big room now. All our candles come from Lighthouse if anyone asks... And these glass candle holders all have numbers on the bottom, and when someone buys one you just have to look in this cabinet under here and find the box with the matching number and put in it there. Alright, now here behind the counter is the wax paper we wrap soaps in. Wrapping them is easy and then by law we have to label everything we sell, so even if a customer tells you it's okay, you have to put a label on the soap. All our labels are in this folder right here, but they're not alphabetized yet. And the cash register--it really is simple but you kind of need to see it done with a real customer... Okay over in that corner and that corner are all the consignment items--and around that corner too--and we don't add those up on the cash register, we just use the calculator and add the tax and then put the money in the register... Pretty much everybody who comes in is nice, but every once in a while you have the ones who try all the patience in your bones. Well, I guess that's about it."

O.O

Does this SOUND like my kind of thing?

No.

But guess what?

I loved it. For the first few minutes, I was overwhelmed and decided I never in a million years wanted to do this. But then as it all started to sink in, I started to get kind of excited. I could learn a natural cure for everything under the sun! I could meet so many fascinating people! This little soap shop is a freakin' imagination factory! It's a completely story starter! It's absolutely PERFECT for me!

Crystal wants me to keep dropping in for a couple of weeks to get a feel for it and see customers in action, but I've already decided:

I want to work at the soap shop.

~Stephanie